From drumming with its roots in Africa, to Spanish-influenced guitar and harp music and the indigenous contribution of maracas, Venezuelan music is largely unknown outside the country.
With a blog based on videos of key groups and individuals I hope this music will reach a wider public and get the attention it deserves.
Joropo, calypso, tambores, salsa, cumbia, pop, rock, Latin jazz, electronica - even slushy love songs by soap opera stars - Venezuela has it all.

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Oscar D'Leon - Lloraras

Salsa star Oscar D'Leon is a true rags-to-riches story. He came from the poor Caracas barrio of Antimano and worked as a driver of a por puesto minibus before carving out a career as one of the greatest "soneros" of all time - up there with Hector Lavoe, Ruben Blades and his role model, Beny More.

He's still making hit records. His most recent album "Fuzionando", featuring collaborations with Puerto Rican reggaeton pioneer Tego Calderon and Calle 13, won the 2007 Latin Grammy for Best Contemporary Tropical Album.

In this video clip from a concert in Cali, Colombia, Oscar joins a full orchestra of top musicians from Puerto Rico and Venezuela to sing his signature tune "Lloraras". As you might gather from the title, there's quite a lot of crying involved.

Shame about Oscar's dodgy pyjamas, pero cartelua la musica!

Check out the lyrics in English:

I know that you don't want me to love you, you're always avoiding me somehow. If I look for you over here, you pop up over there. The only thing I want now is that you won't torture me anymore.

You will be sorry about your bad behavior, and my suffering will cost you dear.You will cry and cry and no one will console you, and then you'll realize that it hurts when you're cheated on.

Later on you'll come asking for forgiveness, but my heart won't remember you any more. You will cry and cry with no-one to console you, and then you'll realize that it hurts when you're cheated on.

You will cry, like I suffered, listen, you will cry, and no-one will understand you. Every bad thing you did to me, listen you will pay for it.

You will cry.

You made me suffer, now I'm the one who's laughing, now I will live my life as I wish.

hola britannicus !!!!! encantada de ver como amas a venzuela .. tremenda idea la tuya de hacer ese blog ..no te gustan los pyjamas de Oscar ?.. they re great !..I happened to work in Caracs as a graphic designer yeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaars ago and we had for our firm end-of-the-year-christmas-fiesta .. OSCAR himself all dressed in a pink suit singing and dancing group in the basement of the publicity firm .. INCREDIBLE memories it printed in me .. christinamy mail bleu1234@ymail.com ..

My book: Bradt Guide to Venezuela

My book: Culture Smart! Venezuela

About Me

After 12 years of adventuring in Venezuela I came back to try my luck in the UK.
Although I try to visit Venezuela as often as I can it does tug at my heart strings some nights that I am too far from Choroni to hear the tambores on the malecon.
Fortunately my job as a journalist in England allows me to follow Venezuelan and Latin American developments and keep my Spanish up to scratch.
The UK is also a good place to do research and meet other like-minded Latin-America-philes for proper rum and salsa sessions.